They froze at the sound
of solitary applause coming from out of the darkness. The curtain of shadows
parted slowly to bring Ares into their midst. "Not bad. Not bad at all." He
nodded his head as he spoke. "And as much as I just hate to break up this touching
reunion, it's time for us to go, Xena."

A feeling of stark apprehension
grew in the pit of her stomach as Gabrielle eased out of the warrior's embrace.
"What are you talking about?" She looked back and forth between them, marking
the smug smile on Ares' face and the expressionless mask on Xena's. "She's not
going anywhere." The question was in her voice, even to her own ears, and with
her eyes Gabrielle begged an answer from her friend, a confirmation that things
were not about to end as she suddenly feared they might.

Ares drew closer, a
possessive gleam in his eye as he surveyed them both. "Oh, yes she is. We made
a deal," he informed the bard. "Neapolis survives and she rejoins me. Now move."

Before Xena could even
open her mouth to say a word, the bard was already grasping hold of the Spear
that lay by her side. "I don't know what's going on here," she began, "but Xena's
hurt and you're not taking her anywhere." The weapon took on an iridescent glow
in her hands and out of the corner of her eye she saw the warrior's eyes widen
in startlement.

"Gab..."

A hand came weakly forward
to stop her, but Gabrielle ignored it and surged to her feet to take a defensive
position over the fallen warrior. The reversal of their roles gave her an odd
feeling, but given the extent of the injury, the bard didn't think Xena was
going to be up for this fight.

He pricked her with
his mocking scorn, and she could feel the heated stain of humiliation warm her
face. Gabrielle was coming to the dreadful realisation that here she was, facing
off against the God of War with not much more than a blessed stick in her hands.
It was suicidal. Ridiculously insane. And exactly the right thing to do. With
a steadying breath, Gabrielle prepared to stand her ground and do whatever it
would take to keep Xena safe.

The god's amused expression
faded to deadly seriousness. "Get out of the way, short stuff," Ares warned.
He shook his fist as if preparing to roll a set of dice, and a dark blue glow
began to emanate from his hand "You're way out of your league."

"Stop." It was spoken
quietly and went unnoticed.

Gabrielle swallowed
hard, her eyes watchful as she raised the Spear and waited for his first move.

"Stop." The order came
again, more forcefully this time, and the two combatants broke from their tense
stand-off, paused to look down, and discovered Xena struggling to sit up. The
warrior's frame trembled with the effort and she blinked often as if unable
to focus her vision. One hand held her upright while the other pressed hard
against the makeshift bandage at her side. "Stop it. Both of you," Xena rasped,
her breathing ragged.

Gabrielle, still eyeing
Ares warily, dropped to one knee to help Xena up; one hand supportively behind
the warrior's back while the other held the Spear protectively in front of them.

"What? What?!"
Ares shouted and jabbed a finger at the wounded woman. "You made a deal,
Xena!"

"So did you," Xena retorted.
"And the deal's off."

"Ooooh no. No way. No
one breaks a contract with me." He shook his head angrily. "You're mine. You
try to betray me and I'll let you bleed out all over the floor like a stuck
pig!"

"The deal's off, Ares!
You didn't fulfil your end of the bargain."

What bargain? When
did this happen? Why did you go to him and not tell me about it? With the
details sorely lacking, question upon question built in her mind. Now was not
the time for her rampant curiosity though. Instead, she worked with the bandage
and tried to hold it tighter against Xena's side, wincing in sympathy when the
warrior's lips suddenly compressed in a narrow line, the only indication of
pain Xena was likely to show. Which means she's really suffering, Gabrielle
observed. She was frankly terrified by the way the blood continued to leak down
Xena's side in spite of all her efforts to stop it.

"What the Hades are
you talking about?" His voice was low and cold as he took a sudden step forward

Gabrielle sensed his
approach and tensed to intercept him, but Ares ignored her entirely.

He hooked a thumb at
himself. "I did my part. Now it's time for you to do yours!"

"We defeat Stephicles
to end this siege." Xena's face suddenly paled and the warrior paused to swallow
once or twice before refocusing her attention on the livid deity looming over
them. "We defeat him and I rejoin you as your Chosen to lead your armies again.
We agreed on that."

"Exactly!" he shouted
as though this should resolve everything.

"Gabrielle beat
Stephicles. I was on the floor and you were somewhere over there holding up
a pillar," Xena reminded him with a tight, pained sneer.

Me? The full
import of her actions had yet to sink in, but at Xena's words she shot a quick
glance over to assure herself that Stephicles was still unconscious.

"She's the hero this
time." Xena gave her a warm smile in spite of the obvious pain she was in. "Not
me."

What? No way.
It floored her to hear it; she had only been trying to help. The bard shook
her head rapidly in protest. "Xena-"

"Tough luck," Xena struggled
on, ignoring Gabrielle's attempt to interrupt. "You hedged your bets by setting
us up to fight, didn't you? Regardless of who dies, you would still win. But
he wasn't what you really wanted, was he? It was me. And you held back on interfering
in the hopes I'd still find a way to kill him, except you waited too long. And
now you've lost it all." She coughed suddenly and Gabrielle could see tiny flecks
of blood on her lips, which frightened her more. Steadying her with one hand,
the bard was alarmed by the chilly feel of the warrior's skin, its paleness,
as if Xena had been out in a winter storm with no protection from the elements.

Ares' mouth opened and
closed several times as he realised just how neatly she had eluded him. "I...
yo... bu..." he trailed off, his jaw working furiously. "Damn it!" Ares exploded
suddenly and threw his hands in the air. "Alright, alright," he grudgingly admitted.
"But I'm not leaving without the Spear. Hand it over, blondie."

She evaded his grab
for the weapon and smacked his hand away in a sharp pop of ozone. Ares jerked
his hand back and sucked on the barked set of knuckles, the both of them wearing
identical expressions of amazement.

His brows lowered like
an incoming storm. "Why, you little-" he snarled and lunged for her, his hand
filled with edgy blue light.

It was a confused tangle
of sudden motion as Xena reached up in the hopes of intercepting Ares' attack,
but Gabrielle slipped past her and into the path of the explosion of power that
erupted from the god's hands. The spray of energy impacted the weapon squarely
as Gabrielle brought it to bear and slammed the Spear against her chest, forcing
a deep grunt from her when the attack was deflected and shattered into a million
fractals of light. Screams and yells filled the room as the force of it knocked
everyone backwards and off their feet. Gabrielle stumbled and fell, but strong
arms gathered her in and protected her as she toppled to the floor. Having braced
their fall with her own body, the warrior grunted with the impact. Gabrielle
felt Xena's hold on her loosen and fall away as they rolled to a stop.

Frantic with worry,
she turned and found her friend unconscious and frighteningly pallid. "No,"
she breathed. The sound of growled muttering made her look up and she saw Ares
several feet away on his hands and knees shaking his head to gather his wits.
Their eyes met when he glanced over, and Gabrielle knew by the smile on his
face that she was in a lot of trouble. She clambered to her feet and took a
tighter hold on the Spear even as he regained his. Both of his clenched fists
took on a dangerous glow and Gabrielle took a reluctant step back. Oh boy.

"Give me the Spear!"
Ares roared and raised his hands.

"Ares!" A voice,
full of resonating power suddenly filled the air and stopped them all in their
tracks. The fear and confusion receded slightly as the people regained their
feet and turned to watch as a woman stepped forth from the crowd of citizens,
her clothes proclaiming her as a priestess of the temple.

Gabrielle, looking on
as well, stiffened and gasped, an expression of confused surprise on her face.
"Agraulos?" the bard whispered. How did she get here?

Ares, annoyed by the
interruption, threw his arms in the air. "What is it with you mortals that you
can never do what I tell you to? Give me the damn weapon or I'll level this
city myself!"

The woman continued
toward him, unflinching in the face of his threat. "The Spear is mine, brother,
as you well know." At her next step she was enveloped in a golden shower of
light, and the outward appearance of a priestess fell away to reveal a woman
of uncommon beauty and grace, garbed in a shimmering radiance that seemed to
spring from within. Her armour and helm shone with its own light, and curly
blonde hair framed a mature face with dark, sea blue eyes.

"Athena?" Ares' mouth
hung open in utter surprise for a bare moment before snapping shut with an audible
click. His menacing demeanour altered abruptly to something more restrained
in light of this newest wrinkle. "Dear ol' dad let you out on a week night,
did he?"

"You overstep yourself,
Ares," she replied levelly as she approached, all the while shaking her head
at him. "Your weak and manipulative machinations failed, and now you dare to
steal what you know belongs to me?"

"I didn't see your name
on it," Ares retorted and crossed his arms. "What are you doing here anyway?
Shouldn't you be off weaving a basket or something?"

Athena dismissed the
snarky comments with a wave of her hand. "Your direct influence and interference
necessitated this, brother. When you preyed on my people, attacked my temple,
and desecrated what is sacred to me, did you think I would sit idly by? I would
have been content to keep my involvement minimal had you but followed the rules.
Your impatience and unsound tactics were your undoing. You've lost here. Pray,
do not embarrass us both further with your tantrums."

Gabrielle would have
laughed if the situation hadn't been so dire. With the two siblings engaged
in their argument, the bard took the opportunity to return to Xena's side and
was taken aback by how quickly the warrior's condition had deteriorated. The
warrior's normally vibrant, tanned skin was a ghastly, chalky white and Gabrielle
scrambled to reapply the bandage that had fallen loose. The sight of her hands
drenched with her friend's blood made her swallow hard against the nausea, but
she continued on, pressing the cloth harder against Xena's side while keeping
half an ear on the proceedings behind her.

"This isn't over," Ares
was saying.

"It never is," Athena
responded dryly. "The pieces are still in play." The goddess looked back over
her shoulder. "Or at least some of them are."

He tilted his head to
one side and peered around Athena to where Gabrielle worked frantically to help
the unresponsive woman. The Spear was no longer a possibility, but it appeared
to Ares that the day might not be a total loss after all. With his signature
smile back in place, Ares sauntered over and raised his hands in a conciliatory
motion when the bard brandished the Spear threateningly in his direction. He
had to give her credit; the girl had pluck. "Whoa. Time out. I just wanna talk."
He watched her for a moment before gesturing towards Xena with his chin. "Looks
like she's about done."

Gabrielle glanced at
him from the corner of her eye, her expression momentarily unreadable. "What
do you care?"

"I care a lot," Ares
replied easily, knowing he had her where he wanted her. "Just like I know you
do. And it'd be such a shameful waste to let her die, now wouldn't it?"

Die. Until the word
was uttered, Gabrielle hadn't let herself even consider the possibility. But,
faced with the truth of it, she gazed at Xena and allowed herself to see, really
see, the full extent of the warrior's injuries. She felt suddenly weak and breathless.
Gods, Xena, stay with me.

"A tragic shame," he
went on, shaking his head in mock mournfulness. "It doesn't have to end like
this though."

The hazel green eyes
shot him a narrow and suspicious look. "What do you mean?" But she had a sinking
feeling she knew exactly what he meant.

"I could heal her."
A long pause fell between them, and Ares' smile grew wider as he watched the
bard's thoughts arrive at the desired conclusion.

"In exchange for what?"
The question popped out before she could stop herself. Her traitorous heart
could only think of getting Xena back and damn the consequences.

The God of War's smile
disappeared and his intense dark eyes settled on her with rapt seriousness.
"She comes back to me."

Her breath caught in
her throat as the full meaning of his statement became clear. He would heal
her, certainly, but Xena would be his again. The spectre of the Warrior Princess
would rise again, heralding a new reign of terror and depravity. What value
the warrior's life when weighed against the countless innocents who might perish
beneath the sword of the most dangerous and feared warlord Greece had ever known?
The greater good alone demanded that she refuse. But I can't let you die,
she whispered to the still and silent woman. I can't give you up.

"What'll it be?" Ares
pressed, his eyes glittering with a predatory light. He had her now. He could
see it in her expression.

Athena shook her head
as she spoke. "I have done what I may, Gabrielle. I will not interfere further."

After all they had done.
"But..." The bard stared despairingly at her, confusion and betrayal naked on
her face. "That's not fair! How could you not-"

"You'd better hurry
up and decide; she's not gonna last much longer," Ares pointed out, a confident
grin on his face.

Gabrielle lowered her
face into her hands and tried to breathe slower. Everything was falling apart
and there was no one left she could turn to. She wiped at the tears that gathered
in her eyes and then took hold of Xena's cold, limp hand in her own. Alone.
Her breath hitched as she tried to figure out what to do. I'm all alone in
this. What do I do? Unconsciously, she linked her fingers with Xena's, her
thumb stroking the cold flesh.

She couldn't bear to
lose her. Not after everything they had been through and all they had given
to save these people. What would you have me do? Through eyes blurred
with tears, she looked around the room at its still and frightened occupants
and it came to her then that this was what Xena would have wanted. No matter
what it takes, you said. No matter what the cost. This is what you meant, wasn't
it? Xena would never thank her for letting Ares save her life only to be
cast back into the darkness from which the warrior had fought so hard to escape,
would she?

"No," she whispered
hoarsely. The weight of her choice was overwhelming. Her world had never felt
so dark and empty.

"Excuse me?" Ares demanded,
unable to believe his ears.

"I won't let you do
it." Gabrielle raised her head as she spoke in a rough and broken voice. Lines
of moisture marked her ashen complexion and made the heartbreak in her eyes
painful to behold. "I won't let you have her." She drew Xena's hand tight against
her chest and held it there. The rawness of the decision left the bard's heart
riven in her chest and she bowed her head, unable to believe what she was doing.
Fresh tears fell, scalding her skin with their heat.

The muscles in Ares'
jaws worked. Everything he had worked for was on the verge of slipping through
his fingers. Again. "You can't let her die! What are you thinking!"

"Go away, Ares," said
Gabrielle as she turned away, her voice soft and resigned. "Xena would never
agree to it..." Softer still, "...so neither can I."

The god flung his head
back in stunned disbelief. It crossed his mind to simply take what he wanted,
but with Athena standing witness Ares knew he would never get away with it.
He had lost after all. "You're gonna regret this," he spat at her and, with
a noise of disgust, vanished suddenly in a curtain of falling blue light.

I know, Gabrielle
agreed in grim silence. During all this time there had been no movement from
the silent figure lying on the floor. "Xena? Can you hear me?" she called to
the warrior. Barely a tickle of breath touched her fingers when she held them
over the warrior's nose and mouth. So light, she wondered if she were only imagining
it. "Stay with me? Please..."

"No!" Xena still breathed,
she was certain of it. She had felt it for herself. "She's not dead!" The bard
glanced up into the serene face of the goddess to find a look of gentle understanding
awaiting her. "She's not!"

"Not yet," Athena said.
"But her time is coming."

With an angry shrug
of her shoulder the bard freed herself from Athena's hand, uninterested in the
sympathetic comfort she offered. "No..." she whispered brokenly as she leaned
over and gathered Xena into her arms. "Damn you!" the bard suddenly shouted
at the goddess. "We did everything we could just to save your people and your
precious Spear!" Gabrielle snatched the weapon from where it had lain on the
flagstones and shook it at her. "You can't let her die like this!"

"It is not for me to
save her," was the quiet response.

Her last hope gone,
Gabrielle lowered her fair head against the darker one tucked against her shoulder
and wept in earnest. This close to Xena, she couldn't help but notice the stronger,
metallic smell of blood that overshadowed the familiar scent of leather and
spice to which she had grown so attached. She pressed her cheek against the
dark, matted hair and squeezed her eyes shut, her breath coming in hitching
gasps as she waited, helplessly, for the end. I'm so sorry, Xena... so sorry,
she whispered to herself. Oh, gods, I've killed my best friend. A
keening moan came from her then, escaping through tightly clenched teeth to
lift the hair of the silent, shadowed onlookers.

Everything they had
been through. All the times spent together. She sobbed as, with sunlight on
water, the memories floated upwards from the depths of her being to glimmer
brightly on the surface of her awareness. A wooden lamb and the unexpected gift
of words... a fervent prayer in a moonlit glade for a wavering, innocent soul...
an expression of barely hidden loss and regret at an ill-fated joining... awakening
to the warrior's look of frantic relief in a temple in Thessaley... a tearful
confession before a campfire and a whispered promise of steadfast restraint...
family and friendship forged in adversity and bound by a tie deeper than blood...
the soul-altering moment in a sunny clearing outside her village when their
eyes had met and held in a brief forever.

Caught in the tumult
of remembrance, Gabrielle gripped Xena closer to her, never seeing the soft
glow emanating from the Spear that she still clenched tightly in one fist. She
remembered every touch, every glance, every hard-won smile and gruff word of
praise. Moments of strength and courage and vulnerability played out before
her mind's eye, and Gabrielle gave vent to her shattered heart as she recalled
all the reasons she had been drawn to Xena, and all the reasons that had kept
her by the warrior's side since. All of which would now be lost.

The force of her emotions
grew to an intense and raging flood that rocked her back and forth even as the
light from the Spear grew brighter in tandem. Don't leave me... oh, please,
Xena...

The strength of it doubled
and she threw her head back, overwhelmed, the tears streaming back along her
temples. ...love you... come back... Her cry was lost when the Spear,
pulsing like a heartbeat, suddenly flashed, hiding them from view and blinding
all within the room. A sound of rumbling thunder filled the temple and within
the vortex of light, Gabrielle felt herself falling and falling and falling
into a dark and quiet nothingness.

* * *

She regained awareness
with sudden force as though coming to surface in rough waters. The first gasping
breath brought life to her starving lungs and Xena flung herself upright as
she gulped down more air, dislodging the weight from her side as she did so.
Instinct put her on her guard and her eyes scanned the chamber, drawing a quick
assessment of her surroundings. With Stephicles out, Ares gone, and Athena staring
back at her like some watchful bird of prey it was readily apparent that she
had missed a few things. Need a weapon, Xena decided, uncertain yet what
threat the goddess might pose. Her sword was out of reach, but her boot dagger
and Gabrielle's staff were close to hand. The hilt of the bloodied dagger fit
comfortably against her palm and she held it loosely as she took a closer look
at the body lying next to her. Her breath caught as she realised it was Gabrielle.

The sight of the bard
lying motionless on the flagstones forced out all thought except for Gabrielle's
well being, and Xena dropped the weapon and used both hands to gently rolled
the bard onto her back. With careful, practised fingers she felt for injuries
and was confused at finding nothing more than a small collection of bruises
and faded scabs here and there where she could have sworn she had seen cuts.
Even Gabrielle's collarbone, where she knew the bastard had hit her,
was absent of anything more than drying flecks of blood.

"Gabrielle?" She felt
at her friend's throat and was reassured by the steady thrum of a heartbeat
pulsing beneath the surface. The evidence of tear-stains under Gabrielle's eyes
worried her though, and Xena cupped the younger woman's face in one palm to
brush the moisture away with her thumb while the other pushed back the loose
strands of hair that threatened to fall across her friend's face.

The bard's eyes opened
quickly at her touch and fastened on her, at first dazed with barely a sign
of recognition, and then a flooding of awareness. Gabrielle pulled herself into
a sitting position. "Xena?" she whispered thickly, uncertain if she could believe
her own eyes.

Hearing Gabrielle's
voice brought back the shock again of seeing her here so unexpectedly and Xena
felt a breathlessness, a surge of feeling so great that she wondered how her
heart could hold it all. "Hey," she kept her voice soft to control the rush
of emotion flooding through her. "Shouldn't you be in Kozani?" She had every
right to be utterly furious at the woman for disobeying her, but all efforts
to sustain her expression of annoyance failed in the face of the hesitant, yet
hopeful smile that danced behind the bard's eyes, begging to be let loose.

"Yeah, but lucky for
you I never listen." Gabrielle smiled and gave a breathy laugh through her sudden
tears when Xena's anger faded into a tender smile. "Oh, gods... Xena?" She lifted
a tentative hand, wanting to touch her so badly, but almost too afraid to do
so until Xena reached out for her. Gabrielle met her halfway in a crushing hug
that stole breath and thought, leaving only raw emotions too difficult to express
except in husky, fragmented words. "You left... why did you... I was so worried,"
Gabrielle husked. "Why did you leave?" She shook Xena lightly, a spurt of anger
mixing with her joy. "Damn it, I oughta-"

Xena hugged her tighter.
"Shh. I had to-"

"But he almost... you
almost-"

"It's okay," Xena whispered
and grasped one of Gabrielle's hands in her own to guide it to her side. She
breathed in deeply, pressing the bard's hand harder against her expanding ribs,
to reassure them both that she was whole and in one piece. The freedom from
pain created such a marked contrast that Xena felt almost dizzy with relief.
But gods, am I tired.

Xena was a blur of motion
before the shadow fell over them, reaching for her dagger and whirling smoothly
with the weapon poised in alert readiness, her body a protective barrier in
front of Gabrielle. "Athena," the warrior said coldly by way of greeting.

The goddess stood only
a few feet away, calm and unconcerned in the face of Xena's threatening stillness.

The warrior's gaze went
to the enchanted weapon resting in the goddess' hand a moment before lifting
to meet Athena's eyes again, surreptitiously changing her grip on the hilt as
she did so. The dagger against the Spear was no contest, she knew, but if she
threw it as a distraction...

Something about the
subtle flow of muscle beneath the skin warned the bard in time. "Xena, don't."
Gabrielle laid her hand on the warrior's arm, exerting gentle pressure until
Xena lowered the blade ever so slightly. After the day she had had, the bard
wasn't interested in antagonising any more gods. The knowledge that she had
managed to successfully stand up to Ares was already enough to make her feel
a little weak in the knees. "It's okay. She stopped Ares from flattening us
when he tried to take the Spear."

Gabrielle slid her hand
down to rest over Xena's wrist as she came forward, relaxing when she felt the
tension leach away at her touch. The warrior was no less watchful, but Gabrielle
could tell from the minute shift in stance that her friend would at least listen
now. She turned to Athena. "It was you, wasn't it? In Kozani?"

"Indeed," Athena answered
simply.

Gabrielle nodded in
excited vindication. "I knew it! But why-"

"The ćwhy' is gonna
have to wait," Xena interrupted and then brushed past the bard to retrieve her
sword. She swallowed a groan as she stood up, wishing fervently that this could
be over with already. Come on, come on. Suck it up. You still have a job
to do. A deep breath reasserted her focus and effectively shut out the nagging
sense of fatigue that wanted nothing more of her than to curl up into a ball
and sleep for days. The healing, it appeared, had only dealt with the worst
of her wounds. Just a little farther to go. "We're not done here yet."
The reminder was meant as much for herself as the others. The toe of her boot
nudged the unconscious warlord as she passed and Xena gave an impressed grunt
when he failed to respond. "He's out, but his army has overrun the town. If
the Kozani troops have followed my orders we may yet have a chance."

Xena's eyes swept the
room, noting the groups of women and children murmuring amongst themselves,
many of whom stared in rapt wonder at the presence of their goddess. To the
other side, a knot of people knelt over an injured woman, their faces filled
with worry. "Kiran," she called out.

The captain rose to
her feet and crossed the room as quickly as she could manage. "My... my lady,"
Kiran stammered as she offered a bow to the goddess. "Xena." Here the youngster
was on firmer ground and gave a fist on heart salute. It was such a huge relief
to have the Warrior Princess back if only because it meant that there would
be another pair of shoulders to carrying the responsibility of seeing to the
town's safety. The last week had been the longest and most harrowing of her
life and she wondered if it showed on her own face as much as it did on Xena's.

Xena gave a quick nod
in response to Kiran's gesture. "Have your troops take custody of Stephicles
and stick him somewhere safe and quiet with a few guards. Is there a back way
out of here?"

Kiran jerked her head
towards the altar. "Back there. Leads to a two-way alley."

"Be ready to get these
people out if things turn bad." Xena was already looking toward the doors at
the front of the temple.

"We have wounded," Kiran
informed her. "Mira-"

The name triggered Gabrielle's
memory and she came forward to draw Xena's attention. "Mira's the spy. That's
why I left Kozani to find you." Amongst a few other reasons, she privately
added.

The captain gaped at
her in surprise. "How did you know?"

It was a question Xena
wanted answered as well, but her concern was growing and she couldn't help looking
impatiently towards the door again. "There's no time for this." She pointed
a finger at Kiran. "Get your people together, and you." Gabrielle's fair brows
knit together and Xena just knew what that portended. "You're coming
with me. It's not like you'd listen if I told you to stay anyway." The stormy
green eyes cleared, treating the warrior to a radiant smile. At least this way
she could keep an eye on her impetuous companion, and if there were other reasons
for wanting to keep Gabrielle close, they couldn't hurt, right?

"Nope," the bard happily
agreed. She grinned as Xena rolled her eyes and set off for the doorway.

With an eager bounce
Gabrielle lifted her half of the Spear of Mercy from the floor and looked questioningly
towards Athena. "Can I borrow...?" The goddess' graceful nod was all the permission
Gabrielle needed before she turned and hastened after Xena, leaving Kiran in
awkward silence with her deity.

* * *

The hard intensity Gabrielle
had feared for prior to their parting was returning. Her unexpected reappearance
had not allowed the warrior any opportunity to prepare for their brief, but
emotional reunion and, as much as Xena had tried, the warrior's efforts to hide
her feelings had not entirely succeeded. Seeing those familiar little signs,
Gabrielle had been gratified and relieved to know that Xena was not completely
lost to her. But that driving need to help, to perhaps redeem herself in some
small regard, made the warrior push herself beyond all good sense. Even now,
Gabrielle could see the lines of exhaustion that had been left untouched by
the Spear's healing. The raiders were still within the walls and that meant
lives were at risk, which also meant that Xena wouldn't stop until it had been
dealt with. Does this ever end? the bard wondered with a sigh.

They had made their
way through the temple to the darkened hall leading to the front entrance, but
the lack of conversation was starting to get to her. It seemed like forever
since she had seen Xena, and with the warrior right by her side, she couldn't
stop looking at her, wanting to hear her voice. "Sooo," Gabrielle began tentatively.
"What's the plan?"

"Find Kozani's General
and take out the trash," Xena answered briskly as she stepped outside and into
the rain. The warrior paused and looked at the bodies of Stephicles' soldiers
lying in various positions of pain at the temple's front entrance. Most sported
bruises and contusions in the form of blackened eyes and bloodied noses, but
there were no sign of sword wounds. "What happened here?"

"Um," Gabrielle murmured
as she worried at a hangnail. "I think I did."

Her dark brows lifted
and she surveyed the damage again. As concerned as she was for Gabrielle's safety,
she couldn't help being silently impressed with the bard's growing prowess.
"You think?"

The bard shrugged. "I
was in a hurry at the time. After going through the fire and the fight at the
gate, it's all kind of a blur."

Blue eyes widened. "Through
the fire?" This bit of news brought Xena up short and explained the presence
of singes and soot marks on her friend. The need to find Taelere was momentarily
put on hold.

"Yeah, that was worse
than those raiders in the forest." Gabrielle watched, fascinated, as the dark
brows lowered again.

"Raiders?" What the
Hades have you been doing?

"But by then I'd almost
caught up with Kozani's army and you, thanks to Chiaro."

"Chiaro?"

"My horse." Was it wrong
for her to enjoy this so much? Oops, there go her eyebrows again.

She rode a horse?
Waitasecond. "A horse?" She hates horses.

Gabrielle tilted her
head to one side and regarded the taller woman from beneath her crinkled brows,
noting the look of curious and confused disbelief. "Do you hear an echo?" she
gently teased.

"Ha, ha." Xena shook
her head and gave Gabrielle a dark look. "You're going to tell me about all
this later."

Gabrielle watched her
stalk away and gave a contrite sigh, aware that she may have pushed the humour
a little too far. Well, that got her talking at least.

The warrior took the
temple steps two at a time and paused in the middle of the street to look up
and down the thoroughfares leading away from the building. Sounds of fighting
echoed off the storefronts and darkened homes, and Xena narrowed her gaze to
squint through the rain and misty air towards the figures moving in the distance.

The sudden, piercing
whistle made Gabrielle wince and she shot Xena a look as the warrior lowered
her fingers from her mouth and took a firmer grip on her sword. "What was that
for?"

Xena nodded towards
the far end of the street. "Watch."

She barely had to wait
before the clip-clop rhythm of horses' hooves on the cobbles became audible.
Shadowy figures on horseback and on foot emerged from the mist, their look and
bearing a very familiar and very welcome sight to the young bard's eyes. "The
Kozani army!"

The soldiers filled
the small square in front of the temple and drew to a halt. Some were wounded,
but none grievously so. "Xena," one of them said, inclining his helm in her
direction.

"Report," the warrior
ordered in a clipped tone.

"The front gate was
completely on fire when we arrived so we didn't even have to worry about the
possible barricade you mentioned. It took us a few minutes to knock the rest
of the gate down, but once when we got past that we encountered some of the
raiders fighting in the courtyard. Militia was damn glad to see us, ma'am."

"I'll bet." She turned
and glanced at Gabrielle. She had seen the front gate and could readily imagine
how it looked engulfed in flames. You and I are definitely going to talk
about this later, her expression said. Gabrielle's hangdog smile in response
let her know her unspoken comment had been understood. "Continue."

"A lot of them broke
and ran. We've organised search parties to hunt them down." The man paused to
look at the abandoned homes. "With the damage it's going to take some time to
get ćem all. Did you find Stephicles?"

"He's been taken and
the Spear's in good hands." Xena's announcement was greeted with excited cheers
from the troops, and she had to raise a hand to get their attention again. "Where's
General Taelere?"

"When we heard the signal
we passed a message back for someone to find him before we came here. He should
be along in a moment."

On the heels of his
words another group of horsemen approached from a different side street, their
even columns mingling with the others as they crowded into the courtyard. One
man, more ornately armoured than the others, came forward through the parting
ranks of Kozani troops and Gabrielle recognised him from their brief encounter
in the forest on her headlong flight to Neapolis.

"Xena!" He pulled off
his helmet and then leaned down to grasp her forearm. "Nice of you to leave
us something to do."

The wry comment made
Gabrielle laugh. "She's just too industrious for her own good."

"I'm glad to see you're
safe as well, Ambassador." Taelere bowed to her from his saddle and then turned
his attention back to the raven-haired woman. "I heard cheering. What news?"

"Stephicles is in custody
and being held by Captain Kiran's militia inside the temple," Xena told him.
She waited for the ruckus to die down again before continuing. "Loan me a horse.
I want to take your men and-"

"Crossbows!" Taelere
suddenly shouted.

A loud clatter followed
hard on his orders and suddenly Xena found herself facing a bristling wall of
crossbow bolts. Those without the missile weapons drew their swords and moved
to flank the warrior and bard.

The General's formerly
open and friendly expression was now remote and wary. "Drop your weapons."

"What are you doing?!"
Gabrielle demanded and stepped forward.

Xena threw out an arm
to stop her and the watchful group tensed, raising their weapons. The creaking
of saddle leather was heard as someone shifted in his seat, breaking the heavy
silence. Too many to catch. "Gabrielle," the warrior breathed softly.
"Don't. Move."

"Good call." Taelere
waved a hand to a couple of his troops. "Get the Ambassador away from her."

"She's not going anywhere,"
Xena told him. "You're making a mistake, Taelere; I'm not trying to take your
army from you."

Kozani's General stayed
silent and watched her closely.

"Stephicles was defeated,
but not by me. I'm in no one's thrall." Except for one particular green-eyed
bard, that is.

"How do I know I can
believe you?" Taelere asked slowly.

"Because she's the one
who beat him." Xena cocked her head towards Gabrielle. "And your goddess happens
to be in the temple right now holding half of the Spear of Mercy."

Reverential murmurings
rose from the group and Taelere gazed searchingly at the warrior. "I want to
believe you."

"You can," Gabrielle
told him, "because I have the other half." She held it out for all to see, the
rain doing nothing to diminish the soft golden glow emanating from its surface.
On impulse, Gabrielle held it out to him. "Here though. Keep it. A gesture of
faith so you won't think she's trying to trick you."

"Blessed Athena," Taelere
whispered in awe as he took it from her hand and held the weapon gingerly. He
took a moment to think, looking between the two women as he did so, before coming
to a decision. "Put up your weapons!" The General tossed his helmet to one of
his soldiers and then carefully dismounted. The older man came to stand before
her and looked her over. The distinctive armour was bent and dented, the leathers
beneath ripped and torn, and the rest of her was liberally covered in filth
and gore. With a shake of his greying head, he asked in exasperation, "Woman,
do you ever not look like you've been pulled behind a chariot Hades-bent
for Tartarus?"

"I'll have to remember
that one." Taelere chuckled and shook his head. "Damn you though for worrying
me. You're not someone I would willingly choose to cross swords with."

The inferred compliment
felt good and she glanced down for a second before meeting his eyes. "I didn't
give you an easy task. I'm grateful that you would have been willing to go through
with it."

"You're thanking him
because he was willing to kill you?" Gabrielle asked Xena incredulously. The
matching expressions they turned on her made her throw her hands in the air.
"Oh, of course you are. What was I thinking?" She shook her head. "Crazy warriors,"
Gabrielle muttered under her breath. She caught the look that Xena shot her,
knowing full well the warrior would hear the barely audible comment, but from
the set of her shoulders, she knew her friend was far more at ease now that
the situation was under control.

"I think I understand
your intentions," Taelere said, getting the conversation back on a more practical
tack. "I have a squad at the gates, we're instituting a patrol along the walls,
and I have several more groups who are searching systematically through the
town for stragglers. We've already killed or captured quite a number who wanted
to surrender."

"Good," Xena nodded.

"What about relief?"
Gabrielle inquired. "They've been hit pretty hard and from what I remember negotiating,
some supplies were supposed to be sent for the Neapolitans."

"Food, medicines, and
additional supplies are already on their way, Ambassador," Taelere replied with
a smile. "It'll take them another day or so to arrive, especially given the
recent wet weather."

The bard gave a nod
of approval. The supplies would be well received, especially in light of how
sick and malnutritioned most of them had looked when she saw them last in the
makeshift hospital.

"I'd suggest giving
orders to your men to round up the townsfolk and send them here or to the town
hall," said Xena. "There's more room and we can protect them better until this
is sorted out. Assign some men for guard duty until the militia has a chance
to rest and then they can do it until the situation's resolved."

Taelere nodded. "I'll
order the men to make use of the tents and supplies out in the field beyond
the walls. Given the conditions here I wouldn't want to stir up any hard feelings
by billeting the men with anyone. Oh, and another thought. How do you want the
raiders dealt with?"

Kill ćem all,
she wanted to say. The bastards had caused untold damage and misery in the past
couple of months, exacting a terrible cost from the Neapolitans. She felt eyes
resting on her, but none so heavily as the bard's did. Xena glanced down to
find Gabrielle regarding her searchingly, an almost fearful expression on her
face.

Xena remembered another
time she had put a deeper look of fear there and felt ill at the thought of
doing so again. How far have I fallen that you're already dreading what I
might do? The loss of faith hurt and left Xena questioning whether there
was even any point any longer to trying to find a way back onto that pedestal.
At last she broke eye contact with Gabrielle and looked at Taelere, her face
expressionless. "Give them a chance to surrender. If they resist, take them
down; I don't want any of our forces needlessly injured. Some kind of tribunal
will need to be convened to determine an appropriate sentence." A warm hand
laid itself on her arm, then, and squeezed gently. Whether in approval or relief,
Xena didn't know; she kept her eyes on Taelere. "I'll advise the counsel of
our actions. Can you take it from here?"

"With pleasure. And
Xena? Wash and get some sleep." His eyes shifted to Gabrielle. "The both
of you. From what I remember, heroes aren't supposed to look like the first
four levels of Tartarus." With that comment he took hold of the reins and smoothly
remounted his horse.

Xena pursed her lips
for a moment, looked at the bard and managed to conjure up the ghost of a smile.
"I think he's talking to you." The other emotions could wait until she was less
tired.

"Excuse me?" Fair eyebrows
lifted and Gabrielle gave the warrior a dubious look. "You must be mistaken.
I'm just the storytelling ambassador here. You're the hero."

"Nuh uh. That's not
the way I'm gonna tell it."

"Xeeeeenaaaaa."

"Now we'll see how you
like it," the warrior replied, feeling deliciously smug as she crossed her arms.

"If you two are finished?"
Neither the General nor his troops bothered to conceal the smiles on their faces.
"Here," Taelere said and leaned out of the saddle towards Gabrielle. "I'm going
to have my hands full with this lot and I'd appreciate it if you would see this
safe." He handed the Spear haft back to the bard and then gave Xena a fist on
chest salute. "I'll send a report to you later."

Xena lifted a hand in
farewell and slid an arm around Gabrielle's shoulders as he shouted new orders
and turned his mount to head out of the courtyard. Together they watched the
troops fall into organised groups and ride away in different directions, the
clatter of hooves and a quiet marching song drifting back to them as they departed.

"Xena?" The bard's voice
drifted up to her after a long moment of quiet.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not really the
hero, am I?"

There was a kind of
forlorn wistfulness to the question and Xena paused to ruffle the dark, damp
hair back away from her face before responding. "ćFraid so."

Silence followed by
a sigh. "I don't feel like one."

"I never do either,"
Xena confided as she looked down at her companion. It was true, really. The
larger than life manner in which Gabrielle portrayed her was completely at odds
with her own self perception, and listening to the bard's tales invariably left
her feeling uncomfortable and wondering. She simply did what she had to do,
nothing more. "So what do you feel?"

"Tired. Sore. Just...
really weary. And I imagine that if I'm feeling that way you must be ready to
fall over."

"Uh huh." Gabrielle
gave her an indulgent, yet sceptical smile. "Xena, when's the last time you
slept?"

Xena stared at the cobblestones
as if seeking the answer in their rain-slicked patterns. Had it been two nights
ago? Three? The days had all started running together at some point. "Well..."

"That's what I thought.
Mud, blood and your ćI'm-so-tough' attitude are all that's keeping you upright,
isn't it?"

"Gab-ri-elle..."

"C'mon. Hot wash water?
A little food? A warm, soft bed?" The bard taunted her with the luxuries they
had left behind on the second floor of the council hall's guest area. "Tell
me that doesn't sound good."

Damn right it sounded
good. Better than good. "Oh, all right," Xena finally conceded in a grumpy tone.
"But, after we talk to Laera."

"If it gets us out of
the rain you've got a deal, Warrior Princess." From outside the doorway the
bard's voice seemed to echo eerily as they disappeared into the dark corridor
within.

"Tsk, some people's
warriors."

"Watch it, slave."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHAPTER NINETY-FOUR

It was a queer feeling;
one she didn't quite know how to handle. It was one thing to be taught to pray
and obey and believe, and perhaps in a rare moment, actually witness some divine
manifestation of the gods and goddesses that oversaw the workings of the world.
But, Kiran decided, it's an entirely different matter when one of
them is standing right next to you. A stolen glance sideways revealed that
Athena's attention was still directed towards the doorway where the other two
women had disappeared.

And watching those two
with Athena had also been... unsettling. Some part of her had been almost aghast,
even offended, by their casual and almost irreverent interaction with the goddess.
Though, right now, she could wish for the same kind of comfortable aplomb they
had shown. As it was, Kiran struggled with a nervous fear that left her palms
feeling clammy. How does one just walk away from their goddess? "I'd better...
um..." She gestured vaguely over to where Laera and several others stood and
began edging away.

"I'm grateful to you."

"What?" The voice, low
and melodic, startled Kiran and the question popped out before she had a chance
to frame something more appropriate. Dark blue eyes looked straight at her,
almost into her it seemed, and Kiran quickly looked towards the ground,
unnerved by the attention. A hand came into view and she felt warm fingers lift
her chin up until their gazes met once more.

"You have no reason
to lower your eyes. Even to me," Athena said, a smile in her voice. "You've
given more of yourself than anyone could have asked. Neapolis is sacred to me,
and your protection of our people and this artefact from Ares and his followers
is... appreciated." She hefted the head of the Spear, its tri-bladed head now
immaculately clean of blood. "Stephicles would have wrought far more death and
suffering than you can imagine had you not shown the strength you did."

What? For a long
moment, she could only stare at the goddess. "Sacred? Then where were you? Why
didn't you do anything? Don't talk to me about ćsacred' this and ćprotection'
that!" Kiran ground out, her anger rising by the moment. "Why didn't you help
us if we're so damn special to you?" She breathed heavily, stunned at the sudden
intensity of her own anger. What am I doing?

"I was always with you,"
Athena replied, unruffled by her ire. "As much as the gods bicker and fight
and manipulate humanity in their eternal machinations, we still need you as
much as you need us. I offered as much help as I could without directly interfering
in your lives, allowing each of you free choice in your actions, free will in
your decisions. Devotion, acts of heroism, and moments of personal sacrifice
are offerings made greater still if given freely. Deeds shine brighter and are
far more pleasing in my eye than those that result from compulsion. If I had
forced you into that tunnel, the end may have been the same, but the nobility
of the act would have been lost. By choosing to take that path you discovered
the best of who you are, your courage, your willingness to make hard choices,
to possibly sacrifice your life that others might live... this is the stuff
of which heroes are made."

Kiran shook her head,
the implications tying her tongue in knots. "Bu... it wasn't me... Xena..."

"There are all sorts
of heroes," was the mild reply.

After everything she
had seen and done in the last two months, a hero was the last thing she felt
like. Heroes knew what they were doing and didn't get their friends killed.
And they probably didn't vomit on their own boots either for that matter. She
was sure of that last one if nothing else. "Um, yeah." Kiran didn't want to
disagree outright, but the conversation was making her increasingly uncomfortable.
"I'd better-"

The feel of Athena's
hand cupping the side of her face silenced her abruptly and she gulped as the
fingers slipped through her hair and pulled her closer until they were nearly
eye-to-eye. The grip was gentle, but firm, and Kiran knew that those bottomless
eyes would have held her even without the goddess' touch. A soundless O shaped
her lips as she felt her inner being cradled and laid bare beneath Athena's
exacting scrutiny. It was reminiscent of the connection she had shared with
Ares; gentler though no less intense as she relived the last two months in the
space of a handful of heartbeats. Madness lurked in the overflow of memory and
emotion, but the moment she gasped and tried to draw away, the barrage of images
slowed and faded, leaving her panting in the goddess' grasp. Except now, the
memories, once blunted by fear, hunger and pain, bore a startling clarity that
shone brightly for a moment before receding from her conscious awareness. "Remember
what you already know," Athena said cryptically as she patted Kiran's cheek
and then released her. "You have my favour, Kiran, and my thanks. Go now. I
know you have work to do."

"I... thanks," Kiran
mumbled and inclined her head in a brief uncertain bow before backing shakily
away and heading towards Laera with a deep sense of relief. This had been, by
far, the most stress-filled, eventful week of her life. By the gods, I can't
wait for it to be over with. Each step further away restored some measure
of her equilibrium and by the time she returned to Laera's side she felt almost
herself again. Well, a hurt, tired version, but what could she do?

"We have to prepare
to go," Kiran announced without preamble when Laera acknowledged her presence.
"How is she?" She nodded to where Mira was receiving care from some of the townswomen.

"She'll be marked for
the rest of her life," the councillor answered only loud enough for her to hear.

Looking at the extent
of the wound, she could see how the bolt of energy had burned Mira's skin leaving
the flesh raw, bloody and blistered across much of the right side of her back.
It looked horrifically painful, and from what little she knew of such injuries,
she could tell the girl would be a long time healing and likely never raise
a weapon again. "Will she live?"

"She'll survive," Laera
answered as she stroked the scarring at her throat almost absently. "But she'll
only live if she wants to badly enough."

Kiran nodded grimly
and found herself hoping that would be the case. "I need your help to gather
everyone up. We may have to leave in a hurry through the back. Xena is reconnoitring
out front in case any of Stephicles' men are looking to storm the temple and
if we get the signal, we have to hightail it out of here."

"Understood, Captain,"
the old woman replied. She clapped her hands to draw peoples' attention and
began giving instructions.

As Laera began directing
the townsfolk, Kiran dropped to her knees beside Mira and took the suffering
woman's clenched fist in her hand, linking her fingers in a white-knuckled knot
of sympathy. Two other women crouched over the former acolyte attempting to
clean and bandage the wound, and Kiran mentally winced at the site of the ruined
flesh before dropping her gaze. "Hi."

Watery brown eyes glanced
up at her and offered a smile through gritted teeth. "You were right."

Kiran shook her head,
a little perplexed. "About what?"

"Sometimes having the
choice of... how we die."

This close, the pungent
scent of burnt flesh brought back the horrifying taste and smell of the dank,
enclosed tunnel. Bad time to be sick, Kiran thought as she swallowed
and cleared her throat. "Well, I know I'm right about that, but I don't think
it applies to you." The captain infused a note of confident assurance in a quiet
tone as she answered, somehow finding it in herself to truly believe that in
spite of the damage the other woman had sustained.

"Better for who?" Kiran
argued. The other woman's eyes were heavy with regret. How can I get you
passed this? "You think Laera wants you dead?"

Mira's expression was
wan and perspiration dotted her upper lip, but she was calm. "She should."

The woman sounded so
certain, so resigned, that Kiran unconsciously gripped her hand tighter, as
if to hold on to her and not let her slip away. "She doesn't." A beat. "And
neither do I." Again, like in the alleyway, she saw the vague hint of astonishment
on Mira's face, but beyond that there was very little response. Kiran sighed
and then considered another approach. "Look, Ares has probably washed his hands
of you after all this. You have a chance to start over."

"After what I've done?"
She jerked and hissed as a bandage was laid across her back and ground the bones
of Kiran's hand in reaction. "Have you forgotten what I did to Agnes? To you?"

"No. And don't expect
me to forgive you for it for a long while either," Kiran replied evenly. "But
I can see how you came to it." She softened her voice a little. "It doesn't
excuse you, but I can see it. If I had been trapped for that long, maybe I would
have done the same thing. You've already made a change though. Wouldn't it give
you any satisfaction at all to defy Ares just by living?" The pain-gilded quirk
that surfaced was faint, but it heartened Kiran to see it. "C'mon. Will you
try?"

The women started in
surprise at the newcomer's voice, and all the more so to find it belonging to
Athena. The townswomen stared in awe and fear, barely moving, until the goddess
waved at them to continue. She then lowered herself down to one knee, making
it easier for Mira to see her. "You've been praying for release for some time
now, I know. When you were here, in Neapolis, you were isolated from his dwindling
influence and under my protection."

"Then the vision I had,
that ćdeath and hope-"

"-would ride in the
storm. Yes," Athena confirmed. "It came from me though I gave you to feel that
Ares was at its source. Thus the nightmares and the fear. You were my agent
even as you acted in what you felt were Stephicles' interests."

"And the last one...
about Kiran..."

"Again, I could only
give you a sign and let you interpret it as you may." The goddess nodded her
head. "I haven't been disappointed."

The words took her by
surprise and she paused for a long moment, a look of cynical disbelief conflicting
with the expression of vulnerable yearning that was just beginning to surface.
"How can I..." Mira paused as she was jostled slightly by her caregivers. She
visibly gathered herself and tried again. "How can I ever make up for this?"
The question rose in an anguished whisper.

A wild thought occurred
to Kiran and she twitched the material of Mira's tattered sleeve between her
fingers. "You seemed happiest when you were just a lowly acolyte with grand
aspirations and a pocketful of pranks in Athena's temple. Maybe you could be
again." She glanced between them, trying to gauge their reaction. Such a move
would offer Mira a sense of place and belonging, and more importantly a chance
to start over in a positive environment. It had merit. Volumes seemed to be
spoken in the silent exchange Mira and Athena shared.

"I have no objections,"
Athena said at last. "The council may have concerns, but given your circumstances,
they may address them at some later time."

Meaning they know
where to find you if they want you. Mira wouldn't be moving anywhere quickly
and she posed little threat to anyone any more. And that was all assuming that
the young woman lived. But Kiran could see that some of the fearful tension
had lifted and a small, hopeful light rekindled itself in the dark, brown eyes.
"Hang in there, okay? This is almost over and we'll get you settled some place
more comfortable." Kiran patted her hand.

Mira nodded as she lay
her head back down on the floor. Suddenly, she grabbed Kiran's hand tightly.
"Thank you," she said simply. "And... it's not enough, but... I'm so sorry."

The ache was palpable
and Kiran tried to smile for her. "I know, but it's a beginning."

"To what?"

"Guess you'll decide
that," Kiran answered gently with a shrug. "Rest while you can. We may have
to leave in a hurry." She squeezed the woman's hand and then stood up. Blankets
and improvised stretchers were in short supply, but the two women who had tended
Mira had found both for her. Satisfied that she was cared for, Kiran glanced
around the room, mindful of Athena's presence at her side, and watched as mothers
herded their children together closer to the back of the temple. The noise level
was growing and she wondered if she should say something when a pair of shadows
separated themselves from the dark temple entrance and caught her eye. The warrior
moved with a smooth, even gait with no sign of the injury that had nearly taken
her life not half an hour past. Kiran's eyes shifted downwards to watch the
bard keep pace by Xena's side, gesticulating with her free hand and turning
often towards the taller woman, a smile on her animated face.

They're such odd
companions. What's the draw? She pondered the question as they approached,
all the while watching Xena with shy though avid admiration. The close observation
allowed her to see how the bard often reached out to touch the warrior, how
close she stayed inside Xena's space, and not only did it appear that Xena didn't
mind... The bard smiled and said something that made the warrior laugh, and
when Gabrielle looked down the aisle toward her, Kiran caught the softening
of Xena's expression and the warm smile the warrior bestowed her friend. Huh,
Kiran said to herself. After witnessing the depths of Xena's dark ferocity,
this sudden and unexpected display of tenderness took her quite off-guard. Haven't
seen a look like that since Tomas went sweet on the baker's daughter. She
had no time to consider it further; the bard was raising a hand to hail them
as they drew closer.

Whatever news they had
to share, Kiran knew that Laera would want to hear it too. She craned her neck
and spotted the older woman. It took a moment, but she caught the councillor's
eye and they convened in the middle of the temple floor to talk.

"Great news," Gabrielle
said immediately, her smile fully engaged. "You won't have to leave the temple."

"What's happened?" Laera
asked as she folded her hands in front of her.

"The Kozani troops managed
to take back most of the town," Xena replied, her expression intent and serious.
"Stephicles' men broke and ran during the counter-attack, so we have search
groups out looking for them. I don't want to take chances though, which means
I've instituted a guard around the temple and the council hall so your people
will have some place safe to stay until this is taken care of." The warrior
looked around the chamber noting the spartan conditions. "If you're missing
any essentials let one of the Kozani troops know about it as soon as they arrive."

"Food and supplies will
be coming in a day or so," Gabrielle added. "Your wounded will be cared for
and the dead laid to rest. Everything else will take a bit of time to rebuild,
but you'll have help."

Could she believe her
ears? Laera glanced at Kiran and then at the others, a look of wariness on her
face. "I've been praying for it for so long that I'm almost afraid to ask now,
but... is it really over?" She looked up into the hard angular face of her former
enemy. The question had been picked up by those standing close by, and everyone
fell silent and waited...

"It's over," Xena confirmed
for her softly, the dark brows drawing together as tears formed in Laera's eyes
and ran silently down the withered cheeks as cheering filled the room. "You're
safe." Xena resisted the urge to take a step back as the old woman approached,
allowing Laera to lay a hand on her armoured shoulder.

"We found saviours in
the most unlikely of places," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "I
can't ever thank you both enough." With that, Laera stepped closer and embraced
Xena.

The warrior stiffened
in the old woman's arms and just as quickly began shaking her head. "I don't
deserve your thanks," she said huskily. "I owed Neapolis no less."

Laera drew back ever
so slightly. "Like everyone else, I watched your every move, and it is no secret
what you were willing to sacrifice to help us. If you will not accept my thanks,
then at least accept my forgiveness? We would never have survived if not for
you."

Kiran had been barely
more than a child when Xena had first appeared at their gates, but she remembered
the fires, the destruction and the stories of people ground into the snow beneath
the hooves of her army's horses. Tales of the Warrior Princess scared children
into obedience and influenced much of how Neapolis had chosen to survive and
rebuild after the warlord had abandoned them to their fate. And now, Kiran felt
a curious shiver up her spine being present to witness this incredible moment.
The few hours she had spent with Xena preparing for Stephicles attack had rendered
the children's tales of the Warrior Princess flat and without substance. Legend
held no sway on the powerful presence of Xena's reality. The passionate drive,
infectious intensity and inexhaustible energy Xena displayed had given Kiran
the inspiration she needed to continue fighting, to hold out until help could
arrive. It had been as important to the warrior as it had been to her, and now
Kiran could see how deeply Laera's words affected Xena in spite of her every
effort to mask it. The blue eyes tightened, and for a brief moment she thought
she saw a wistful longing there, a desire to believe warring against some deeper,
darker emotion.

"Glad we could help,"
Xena finally answered and dropped her arms to allow Laera to offer Gabrielle
a hug which the bard enthusiastically returned. Others closed in around them,
offering words of thanks, talking excitedly to one another or simply weeping
in happy relief. The children, feeling the dark sombre fear lift from their
elders for the first time in a long while, smiled and laughed, and sidled up
to the crowd with a constant stream of curious chatter.

Watching from the edge
of the throng, Kiran could see the warrior's growing stillness and hooded watchful
eyes as the people closed in, their talk and laughter filling the air and rebounding
off the high walls. Perhaps it was curiosity, or maybe the bard just caught
her eye, but the bard's shifting green-tinged gaze told her that Gabrielle had
noticed Xena's discomfort too, except too many people were trying to engage
her attention for the bard to do anything about it. On a hunch, Kiran waded
through the crowd until she was at the warrior's side.

"Excuse me. Pardon me."
She raised her voice to be heard. "Xena? I need to go over a couple things with
you." Kiran waited for the warrior's nod of acquiescence and motioned towards
a spot away from the people. She turned and crossed her arms as Xena pulled
away from the people and came over to join her.

"What's on your mind?"

The rich velvety voice
gave no sign of discomfort or fatigue in the slightest, and Kiran could feel
her admiration slide up another notch at the level of control the woman sustained
even in the face of the most extreme circumstances. "I thought maybe you could
use a rescue."

"Yeah, so I thought
you might want some space..." She was could feel the blood creeping into her
face.

"Space." Xena tasted
the word, crossing her own arms.

"...well..." Kiran continued
weakly and hunched her shoulders, wondering if she were about to be swatted.

"Tch, stop intimidating
her and be nice, Xena." Kiran saw the bard walk up and nudge the warrior as
she spoke. "I would have pulled you out of there myself if I could have gotten
away."

That interesting dynamic
was back, and Kiran watched in fascination the way Xena's whole demeanour changed
in the bard's presence. It wasn't all that obvious exactly, more felt than seen,
but she sensed this softening that seemed to draw one in. As if to prove the
thought, Xena only smiled and appeared to relax further when Gabrielle stepped
closer and laid a hand on the warrior's side. Interesting.

"If we're done here,
I think we made a deal?" Gabrielle asked and leaned on the Spear.

"What deal?" Kiran asked,
despite the fact she felt almost like an intruder in their presence from the
way they were looking at each other.

"Ms. Invincible here
hasn't slept in a few days," the bard answered. "And come to mention it..."
She let out a huge yawn. "I'm pretty sure I'm due some more sleep myself."

The urge to follow suit
was contagious and Kiran found herself emulating Gabrielle with a jaw-cracking
yawn of her own. "Don't start that or I'll never stop," she complained good-naturedly.
"I'd better let you guys leave now before you get drawn into something else.
Will you be around for a little while though?"

Xena nodded. "A few
days at least, probably longer. I want to see things settled here and the rebuilding
started before we go."

Kiran exhaled softly
with relief. It was an incredibly reassuring thing to know that at least for
a short time the burden of responsibility would still be shared. "That's great,"
she said, trying to tone down her exuberance. "Then, when you have some time
I'll catch up with you tomorrow?" The feeling of anxiousness at their impending
departure was postponed for at little while. And if she were honest with herself,
Kiran was not looking forward to how life might be after everything settled
down.

"Sure."

And with that, Xena
lifted a hand in farewell before the two women turned and left the celebrating
townsfolk behind. Just before the darkness near the far side of the temple swallowed
them up she saw the bard bump Xena and the warrior's arm close around Gabrielle's
shoulders. Kiran shook her head and smiled before turning back to the welcoming
arms of her own people.

* * *

Xena felt the bard nudge
her and she draped one long arm around Gabrielle and pulled her closer, smiling
as she did so. They lived their lives in such a whirlwind at times that she
figured she should be used to it by now, but this adventure seemed even more
hectic than usual. She still had yet to wrap her mind around the fact that a
very short time ago she had been on the verge of death. If not for the woman
at her side ignoring her orders and riding Hades-bent across the countryside
to catch up with her, Xena realised that Stephicles likely would have won after
all. And her pride didn't exactly know how to feel about that.

Somewhat abashed by
the emotion, the warrior brushed it off and concentrated instead on the much
more pleasurable feeling of Gabrielle pressed against her side. The moment their
eyes had met in the temple had given her a jolt she had not been prepared to
feel, the very memory of it sending a tingling warmth through her inside and
out despite what had followed after.

"How can you be so warm
even in the rain? I'm freezing," Gabrielle complained and shivered for good
measure.

"Good circulation,"
Xena muttered, hoping that the bard wouldn't notice the heat in her face from
this angle. "C'mere." She pulled Gabrielle a little closer, allowing the bard
to mould against her right side as they came to the bottom of the steps in front
of the temple.

"Chiaro!" Gabrielle
suddenly cried and abandoned her warm nook to jog over to the horse wandering
freely beyond a small wall of rubble. "I can't believe she's still here! C'mon,
we can ride her back to the council hall."

Xena followed more slowly
behind her, eyeing the horse with a vague dread. By its shorter stature the
fine-boned mare was perfectly matched for Gabrielle. But for her... My feet
are gonna drag on the cobbles, she sighed morosely. But the bard was waving
her onward with an endearing enthusiasm that Xena found impossible to resist.
Besides, she reasoned, there didn't look to be anyone else around to see. She
climbed up into the saddle, ignoring the shortened stirrups that would have
had tucked her knees under her chest, and reached down to pull Gabrielle up
behind her in the saddle. The bard settled familiarly against her, her body
pressing close against her back and an arm snaking around her middle. One hand
patted her leather covered midriff briefly before clinging in a body hug that
she hadn't realised she missed until Gabrielle sighed against her shoulder.

"You ready?" Xena asked
softly.

"More than ready," the
bard confirmed.

The warrior covered
the hand at her waist with one of her own, and clicked her tongue to get the
horse moving into a steady gait towards where she remembered the council hall
to be. She heard a quiet hum from Gabrielle just as the bard snuggled closer
into her, no doubt enjoying the heat trapped between their bodies where they
touched. The warmth felt delightful and though she was far from complaining,
it only exacerbated her fatigue and she blinked a few times before finally turning
her face up to the rain to clear her head a little. Sleep was going to feel
so very good, but Stephicles' thugs could be anywhere yet, and she thanked the
gods that the distance to the council hall was relatively short.

Another sigh rippled
across her hearing and she felt Gabrielle relax against her. She briefly considered
checking to see if Gabrielle was still awake, but decided against it. It was
a moment of relative calm and quiet, the first they had enjoyed in more than
a week, Xena realised. Let her take it easy for a few minutes. Over the
measured clip-clop sounds of the horse's hooves, she could distantly hear the
sounds of Kozani troops passing by a street or two over and what might have
been a distant skirmish. She lifted her rain-soaked head to listen closer and
caught a shouted order that set her instincts on edge. Should I check that
out?

Gabrielle chose that
moment to rouse herself. "We almost there?"

"Nearly," she replied
and neatly collared the wolf that prowled within her before firmly turning her
attention back to the street ahead them. Taelere will deal with it. He's
smart enough to find me if he really needs me. It wasn't an easy decision
to make, but if she were honest, neither she nor Gabrielle could push herself
much further without taking some huge risks with their safety. She clicked her
tongue again and coaxed Chiaro into a slightly faster pace, eager to get them
out of the rain and into some place warm and dry.

* * *

Gabrielle was scarcely
aware of it when Xena lifted her down from the saddle and laid her on a hard,
wooden surface. She breathed deeply and let out a sigh. Hay. She sniffed.
Horse manure. Stables? She blinked her eyes open and hugged herself closer
now that delicious body warmth they had shared was dissipating. Through half
open eyes, she watched Xena care for Chiaro with an economic efficiency that
she envied and, though gloomy, there was enough light to see that her friend
moved with nearly the same ease as ever. Xena looked tired though, a very unusual
sight given that her usual stoic manner generally saw fit to hide such mundane,
human frailties. Dark circles marred the skin under her eyes, and the hollow
shadows about her made Gabrielle think that the warrior hadn't eaten much in
far too long. Need to take better of care of you. I came too close to losing
you this time.

It was barely any time
at all when she again felt familiar hands lifting her up and her cheek laid
against a comfortable shoulder. "Xena?" she murmured to the nearby ear. "Put
me down. I can walk." It was a token protest really; she didn't really want
to move anywhere. It felt too good right where she was.

"Why do I feel like
we've had this conversation before?" Xena responded in amusement.

"I'm beginning to think
you enjoy doing it. Or is it just an image thing?" Gabrielle teased in turn
as she manoeuvred the Spear out of the way, a smile on her face. The answering
quirk was all the answer she was given as the warrior took them through an adjoining
doorway directly into the building. Xena paused in the more brightly-lit passage
before taking the hall to their right, her steps smooth and sure as Gabrielle
shifted to lay her arm around the other woman's neck. Slow, even breaths caressed
her rain-pebbled skin and raised a light welter of goosebumps that skittered
over her from head to toe. She shivered briefly and felt Xena gather her in
a little more closely against her body.

"Nearly there," Xena
murmured softly as she navigated the corridors from memory and, true to her
word, they found the stairs leading to the second floor. With each step, Gabrielle
felt a little more of the tension and intensity of the day slough away, leaving
her in quiet awareness of her emotions as she watched the reassuring beat in
the hollow of the warrior's throat. They arrived at the door with matching sighs
of relief and Xena waited until Gabrielle dealt with the latch before prodding
the door open with her foot.

Xena paused to kick
the portal shut again before crossing over to the large unmade bed that dominated
one side of the room. Gabrielle took in the chamber's general disarray with
its collection of used bandages on the floor next to the bed and the pair of
robes left in wrinkled heaps on its messy surface. It looked exactly as they
had left it, she noted with surprise. Surely with all the injured they would
have taken this room too? Evidence suggested otherwise and the bard could
only take it as an indication of faith that the Neapolitans had truly believed
they would return.

Further thought on the
matter was postponed as she was gently deposited on the bed's surface and promptly
joined by Xena as the other woman lowered herself face first into the covers.
Gabrielle turned her head and watched with muted appreciation the flow of muscles
beneath the skin as the warrior slowly stretched her body out onto the bed.
Something popped and clicked audibly from Xena's back resulting in a deep, but
muffled groan of happy release. The bard winced sympathetically and let out
a soft chuckle. "Can you breathe like that?"

Xena turned her head
and regarded her from beneath the disordered fall of dark hair. "Not especially,
but I'm too tired to care."

"If you're willing to
admit that without the impetus of torture, you must be tired," she commented
while laying the Spear down on the floor and out of the way.

"Mmm." A sigh. The blue
eyes blinked a couple of times and fell shut, a few strands of hair falling
across one eye as Xena rubbed her cheek on the coverlet and sighed again. The
strain of recent events eased a little and smoothed the harsher angles of Xena's
face, giving back the youthful appearance.

Gabrielle levered herself
up on one elbow the better to take in the charming picture before her, and felt
an intense swell of emotion tightened her chest. A shaky breath left her and
she laid a hand next to Xena's without touching her, but just close enough to
feel the barest hint of warmth from the warrior's skin. I can't believe how
good it feels just to see you again. It had only been a few days, but the
separation bore the feel of an achingly long absence. And now that they were
finally back together and the danger seemed passed, she found her eyes tearing
up, rising on a wave of a relief and happiness so strong that it threatened
to steal her breath away. Gabrielle wiped her eyes before the tears could fall,
unsettled by the depth of her feelings.

"Hey," Xena's voice
burred quietly. "What's wrong?" All evidence of sleepiness was gone as the other
woman's eyes searched her face in concern.

What was wrong, indeed?
"I think I'm just tired." How else could she explain away the rapid beat of
her heart in the face of Xena's gentle worry?

The warrior reached
out and stroked her cheek. "We both are. If you'll get a fire started, I'll
see about finding us some water to clean up with before we get some sleep,"
Xena suggested as she rolled over and sat up. She fingered the rent in her leathers
and then turned her hands back and forth, inspecting the encrustation of mud
that seemed a permanent part of her skin. "I've been living in filth so long
I'm almost used to it."

"Ew." Gabrielle scrunched
up her nose in playful reaction. "You're dirtier than I thought you were. Hurry
up and get the water."

Xena snorted and stood
up. "Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"Nope, and the closest
I'm likely to come to such an extravagance is looking at my reflection in your
eyes, so..." She reached up to direct the warrior's gaze to her and drew the
woman closer in the process. Gabrielle glanced back and forth into the amused
light-coloured eyes and made a show of smoothing down the edge of one sandy-brown
eyebrow as if one hair out of place would mar her perfection. "What do you think?"
she asked with a grin.

Gabrielle waited expectantly
for the sharp, sarcastic retort and her smile began to fade when it appeared
that none would be forthcoming. Instead, she found her attention captured in
the depths of Xena's gaze. The warrior's expression of amusement had altered
into something softer, more vulnerable, and she looked back, taken by the manner
in which Xena's lips seemed shaped by some quietly held secret. The sky blue
eyes roamed her face like an almost tangible caress and gave rise to an unexpected
warmth in the pit of her stomach.

"I think..." Xena's
voice was a husky murmur and Gabrielle unconsciously edged closer in response.
The warrior abruptly paused to clear her throat and shift her eyes away, breaking
the spell Gabrielle had felt herself bound in. "I think I'll know better when
I can see what you look like under that layer of muck." The usual stoic expression
was back in place, banishing that moment of intimacy as if it had never been.
"I'll check out the kitchen and be back in a few minutes."

And with that, Xena
slipped away and out the door leaving Gabrielle feeling, once again, as if she
had been dashed with cold water and reminding her of that moment in Stephicles
camp when Xena had suddenly and inexplicably walked off into the rain. With
a sigh and a shake of her head, Gabrielle left the bed and padded over to the
fireplace. She placed a couple of the smaller logs in the crumbled and ashy
remains of their last fire and set about lighting the pile of kindling. Within
minutes, she had a small, cheery fire blazing on the hearth and was hugging
the grate as closely as she dared, enjoying the fingers of heat that stroked
her body in tantalising waves. With a satisfied smile, Gabrielle wrapped her
hands around her knees and prepared to wait for Xena's return.

* * *

The run to the kitchen
yielded far more goodies than Xena had hoped for, and she clutched the supplies
to her as she hurried back to the room, eagerly anticipating a chance to get
clean and finally get some sleep. The incident with Gabrielle had only served
to show her just how tattered and brittle her defences had become, and all the
restraint she had previously managed to erect had long since disappeared somewhere
in her travels between Kozani and Neapolis.

Tired. I'm just tired,
she told herself. A few hours rest and I'll be fine again. Gabrielle's
joking comment about her enjoying the opportunities that allowed her to carry
the smaller woman in her arms had hit far too close to the mark for comfort.
Her emotions felt as though they were spinning out of conscious control. Between
Gabrielle's shocking reappearance and narrowly avoiding death, Xena was feeling
distinctly off balance. Her side still tingled and prickled as if retaining
the memory of the remembered agony of the weapon twisting and slicing her insides
to ribbons. If she could have freed up a hand, she would have pressed it against
her side to try to rub it away. Xena recalled the split second she had in which
to make a decision when the bard attacked, and sacrificing her body had been
a small price to pay to keep Gabrielle safe.

Seeing Gabrielle whole
and sound was a reward in itself. Even begrimed with dirt, dead leaves and pine
needles her impetuous young friend had been a welcome sight. Could I have
been any more distracted? Amid the self-conscious embarrassment of feeling
like an adolescent with her first crush, Xena wanted to slap herself in the
head.

Discovering herself
back at the top of the stairs, Xena paused outside the door, took a breath to
settle herself and then bumped the barrier open with her hip. Flickering light
bathed the room with an orangey glow and filled it with the warm and homey scent
of oak and pine. The bard sat with her chin resting on her knees, staring with
rapt fascination into the dancing flames. Xena stopped where she was to admire
the way the light picked out the honey-coloured highlights in Gabrielle's hair
and cast her eyes full of sparkling shades of green flecked with gold when the
younger woman glanced up at her arrival.

"Whoa, did you bring
the whole kitchen?" Gabrielle asked as she rose from hearth and hurried over
to help. "What is this? Oh!"

Xena heard the crunch
as the bard took a healthy bite from one of the apples she had brought with
her.

"Omigowf," the bard
moaned around a mouthful as she set the miscellaneous items down on the bed.
"Thashshogoon!" Another wet crunch, this time accompanied by a wet slurp. Another
moan.

"Don't choke," Xena
remarked with a wry grin as she dropped the rest of her burden on the hearthstones.
Gabrielle was suddenly at her side again, her face a picture of bliss as she
chewed. "Wha-" Suddenly the apple was pressed against her lips and it was either
oblige the bard by taking a bite or risk losing a tooth to her overly philanthropic
intentions. It was definitely one of the easier decisions she had made that
day as she took a bite of the wrinkled red and yellow streaked fruit. For all
that it had likely been in storage for several months, the explosion of sweet,
moist flavour across her tongue was almost enough to make her moan as well.
The mouthful was a powerful reminder that she had barely eaten a thing in days
and her stomach gurgled its impatience. She unpacked the small repast she had
managed to scavenge from the kitchen on the hearth and eagerly surveyed her
choices.

Weak wine, a small brick
of old cheese, a round of coarse, heavy bread, a handful of olives and the wrinkled
apples looked like a feast and Xena didn't have to call twice to get Gabrielle
to join her. But for the crackle of the fire, the room was otherwise quiet for
a few minutes as they ate. In their haste to fill their bellies they passed
the wineskin back and forth, foregoing the use of the goblets resting on the
table from their last visit. At last, the two women slowed down and took the
time to taste their food, giving contented little sighs as they did so. Xena
dusted her hands off and stood, still in the midst of chewing a bite.

"Where are you going?"

The warrior grabbed
a long handled pot and several more skins from the bed and returned to her seat
by the fire. "Figured we could heat some water while we finish this off. It's
not a bath..." Her tone was apologetic as she filled the pot with as much water
as it would hold, latched it to the hook and swung it over the fire to heat.

She smiled and shook
her head as she watched the bard wiggle her toes with obvious enjoyment. "So
that's what I smelled." Her quick reflexes protected her from Gabrielle's smack
on the arm and she raised a sarcastic eyebrow in response.

"Uh huh," Gabrielle
narrowed her eyes and poked the breastplate with one finger. "I can't wait
to see what kind of patterns you've got going under all that stuff."

Xena suddenly leaned
forward and captured Gabrielle's left ear between thumb and forefinger. She
ignored her friend's yelp of protest and tugged her closer, pretending to inspect
the hapless bit of anatomy with great interest. "How the Hades did you get so
much dirt in your ears?! You could grow crops in there!"

Retaliation was quick
to follow when Gabrielle's hand shot out and gave Xena's long, tangled hair
a solid yank. "Is that a crow's nest or a rat's den on your head? You've got
enough build-up to even give Medusa a run for her dinars!"

Xena growled, Gabrielle
lunged and the olives went flying as they grappled. A failed offensive toppled
the bard abruptly off the hearth, but Gabrielle wasn't giving in that easily.
She hauled Xena down with her onto the floor with a resounding thump and they
rolled twice before ending up tangled together nearly nose to nose.

"Spud-rielle!"

"Warrior Gorgon!"

They glared at each
other and panted for breath. Maybe it was the twitch of Xena's brow that did
it. Or maybe the way Gabrielle crinkled her nose as she tried not to smile,
but the silliness of the moment suddenly caught up to them and they burst out
in a long fit of giggles. Gales of laughter merrily filled the room, trailing
into snorts and hitches of sound until, at last, Gabrielle's shaking arms slowly
collapsed under the weight of her bubbling laughter and she sank into a pair
of welcoming arms.

It was spoken with such
wistful and aching happiness that the warrior felt her eyes pricked with tears.
She tightened her hold on the bard and dropped a kiss on the fire-touched hair,
acknowledging the deep emotions that rose in answer to Gabrielle's heartfelt
words. She remembered vividly the last time they had shared such easy, playful
banter and the revealing conversation that they had shared afterwards. Maybe
it's time for another one, she thought. "C'mon. That water should be ready
by now," Xena murmured and helped Gabrielle up.

With a spare rag, Xena
swung the kettle of water away from the fire and removed it to the floor where
its simmering contents could cool to a more comfortable temperature. "Grab the
robes?" she asked as she worked at the mud packed buckles of her leg armour.
Gabrielle dropped the clothes on the hearth and then reached over to unhook
the misshapen breastplate. "Gods, Xena, it looks like you ran face first into
a wall."

Xena nodded, her eyes
still on the stubborn buckle as she worked with it. "Close enough." She paused
to lean back as Gabrielle helped draw it off of her and she gave a sigh of relief
once the uncomfortable constriction was removed. Damn thing's been poking
me for hours now. Looking down at herself she grimaced at the deep imprints
the edges of the armour had made into the leather. In one spot part of the armour
had twisted and cut a rough groove in the material over her left breast Any
less lucky and it might have gouged right through me. That woulda hurt.
As it was, her armour was a smashed and battered mess, having borne the brunt
of her collision with the town wall.

"What did you do?" The
bard asked as her fingers ran over the metal whorls.

Xena shrugged. "I had
to get into the town and the gate was blocked. I tried going over the wall instead."

"Over the wall," Gabrielle
repeated and then looked at the armour again. It looks almost flat. It
made her want to pat her own chest in sympathy. "Um... did you miss?"

"No!" The warrior replied
indignantly. "I hit it, all right." This last came in an embarrassed undertone.
The buckled chose that moment to pop open and she removed the armour, quickly
unlaced her boot, pulled it off and then started on the other knee.

"So I see. Then what?"
Gabrielle asked, her natural curiosity as a storyteller pushing to the fore
as she paused, the laces of her half-top only partially undone.

Scummy little-c'mon,
already! She gritted her answer out between her teeth. "Ran across the rooftops
until I got to the temple. Ripped up the slates and jumped down. You were there
for the rest." The other buckle gave over reluctantly and Xena pulled it off
with a great deal of satisfaction. "Ahh." Gods, that's better. That's going
to take forever to fix and clean, she thought grimly as she looked over
her growing pile of filthy, battered equipment. It would wait though. We'll
probably be here for a little while until they get back on their feet.

If she got any more
concise, she'd be grunting at me again. The bard shook her head in frustration.
"Xena, there has to be more than that."

"You already know how
the story ends." In fact, you know more about that than I do... "Are
you going to tell me what you've been up to? What happened with Ares?" Xena
asked as she stood up. Something, some tingling sense made her look at Gabrielle.
Pained green eyes followed her movements and stopped somewhere at her midriff.
Her brows knitting in confusion until she looked down at herself and saw where
the gaping hole in the leather was much more obvious now that the spectacular
condition of her armour was no longer present to provide any kind of distraction.
The edges were crusted with hardening gore and a dark stain discoloured the
tough leather all around the tear. Gabrielle's stricken look drew her forward
and the bard tentatively lifted a hand to touch her side.

It's hitting her
again, she realised. In the rush of events and the stress of the situation
neither of them had had any time to deal with the personal side of everything
that had happened. And being exhausted probably isn't helping things either.
"Hey..." Xena gentled her voice as she knelt down. "I'm fine." In a deliberate
repetition of earlier, she grasped Gabrielle's hand in hers and slowly pressed
them through the hole until they met warm, solid flesh. "See?"

"You were dying," Gabrielle
whispered as the tears began to fall, as she relived the moment again. "Ares
offered to heal you if I gave you back to him as your Chosen. You were bleeding
all over the floor and you were so pale, but I couldn't stop it. I wanted to
give in so badly, but I couldn't give you to him. Not like that. After everything
you've done, I'd never have forgiven myself if I had." Gabrielle trembled and
raised her eyes to meet the blue eyes so close to her own. "Xena, I was going
to let you die," she said hoarsely, the shame and remorse making her look away.
"I'm so sorry."

"No," Xena said and
pulled Gabrielle against her in a hard embrace. "You have nothing to feel guilty
for, understand me? You know me." Saying the words aloud, she could feel the
truth of it. The repercussions of her desperate deals were coming back to haunt
her, and Xena cursed, knowing that she hadn't expected to survive long enough
to have to explain her choices. How much do I tell her? She looked away
to the far shadows of the room a moment before turning to claim the bard's eyes
in an intensely serious gaze. "Listen. The situation was bad. I had to make
a deal with Ares in order to give Neapolis a chance and buy me more time, but
I wasn't going to go through with it. I've done enough harm already. So I told
Taelere that if Stephicles was beaten that he should kill me if I showed the
slightest interest in taking control of his army. So... one way or another I
was going to die. You did everything right, for me and for the greater good.
And whatever you did with the Spear... Gabrielle... you saved my life."

ćOne way or another...'
Gabrielle heard and stiffened in Xena's arms. She leaned back and blinked, overcome
by the shock, surprise and anger that passed through her in quick succession,
growing until Gabrielle pushed away in an explosion of emotion. "That's what
that was all about in front of the temple! Xena, why would you do that?!" Gabrielle
demanded and pulled her hand loose from Xena's grasp. "How could dying be the
only way?" In her growing fury, Gabrielle surged to her feet and glared at the
warrior, her hands clenched into fists as she awaited an answer.

Gabrielle's outburst
took Xena by surprise, but she quickly recovered. "I owe them everything
I have to give."

"There had to be another
way! You're a brilliant strategist, Xena. Wasn't there any other solution?"
She was shocked that Xena would deliberately set out to get herself killed.
"Or did you want to die?" The question came out without her conscious
permission and she wondered where that thought had come from.

"I was out of time!"
Xena snapped at her. "I needed help that I couldn't find anywhere else except
from Ares. And if it meant my life... Gabrielle, you have no idea of everything
I've done, the guilt I feel because of it!" Her jaw worked as she fought her
own rising anger and shame.

"That's why you left
me. That's what you didn't want me to see."

The statement was spoken
in a flat tone, bringing to mind the tense confrontation outside the cave during
their headlong flight to Kozani. "You were injured and I refused to risk you
further."

"So you left without
a word. Even knowing that you wouldn't come back, you still left without a word."
Why didn't you say good-bye?

"Yes," Xena replied,
her tone hard and unapologetic. "And I'd do the same again if I thought it was
necessary to keep you safe." The expression of hurt was hard to look upon, but
she forced herself to do so. There had been very few easy choices to make during
this mission and none that would have made the bard happy while still allowing
Xena to achieve her goals. "You were hurt and I left you behind, but I didn't
abandon you, Gabrielle. There's a difference."

"I dreamt of you," Gabrielle
said unexpectedly and Xena could only stare at her, bewildered by the sudden
change of subject. "Over and over again I dreamt of fire and pain. You were
in trouble and needed me. All I could think of... all I could feel...
was you. A sense of urgency. An overwhelming need to help and a sense of terror
if I failed. It was like a heavy weight upon my heart that ached so deeply I
thought my bones would cry out with the agony of it."

Which, Xena decided,
was as close as words could ever have come to describing the constant sensation
that plagued her conscience.

"That's what it's like
for you, isn't it?" Gabrielle asked as if sensing her thoughts.

Silence, and then...
"Yeah." It's something I hope you never have cause to know.

They stared at one another
for a moment and then Gabrielle slowly walked over until she stood in front
of the warrior. "Finding you gone made me angry. And it hurt. Especially after
you said you wouldn't leave me again. Part of me doesn't want to understand.
Part of me wants to stay angry with you, Xena, but only because... you
mean so much to me," she finished quickly in a low voice.

Xena rose to her feet
and came closer until she stood before Gabrielle, feeling awkward and unsure.
"I knew this would hurt you and I'm sorry, Gabrielle. So much was out of my
control... the only thing I could be sure of was keeping you out of it." She
stroked the bard's cheek and thought wryly of how even that hadn't turned out
as she planned. "I don't ever want you to pay for the mistakes I've made."

Gabrielle pulled Xena
into a hug and sighed against her chest, a familiar sadness rising in her. "I
wish..." she trailed off, at a loss for once of how to frame her feelings.

"You wish... what?"

"I wish I could take
your past for you. Share it. Make it easier. Or better. Or... just... something...
that would finally let you find some peace." That was pathetic, she sighed
to herself in frustration.

"Gabrielle..."

The gentle way in which
her name rolled off Xena's tongue sent warm shivers through the bard's midsection
and she unknowingly gripped her more tightly.

Xena found Gabrielle's
flustered sincerity incredibly sweet. "Don't you know that you do that for me
every single day?" Unseen though it was she could still feel Gabrielle's smile
as her lips brushed against her skin. "The only real happiness I've known is
because of you. I don't think I could do without it now."

It touched her deeply,
and Gabrielle pulled back a little to look up at the dark haired woman. "You
won't ever have to." There was more she wanted to say, and her lips moved as
if to speak, but nothing would emerge. Liquid blue eyes held her, the firelight
changing their hue from moment to moment, and all she could do was stare.

It wasn't at first apparent
whether Gabrielle intended to add more or not, but the mood had shifted again
and Xena was grateful for the lessening of tension. Though, the way the bard
was looking at her giving her tension of an entirely different sort. Okay,
you're really tired if you're imagining that, she admonished herself
"What do you think about using some of that water now?" she suggested, breaking
the silence. "If we're lucky it might even be warm still."

The tired relief in
Gabrielle's eyes was obvious as she nodded. "Yeah... I'm tired of being grungey."

"You and me both," Xena
snorted.

The remainder of their
clothing and gear was shed and lain aside on the hearth or over the chairs to
dry. There would be time tomorrow to see to necessary repairs and much needed
laundry, but for now they were content to see to themselves, an involved enough
task as it was. The robes were more for warmth than for modesty, their fatigue
making such concerns more an inconvenience than anything. Gabrielle let the
material pool around her waist as she used a wet cloth to remove the sweat and
mud accumulated in the rigours of the past few days. She quietly shared her
story as she did so, watching Xena as the other woman washed as well, her damp
body glistening in the firelight. They helped each other as necessary to reach
the tough spots and it was with contented satisfaction when they finally finished
their ablutions, their hair damp and their bodies clean and dry at last.

The soft, cool haven
of the bed produced twin sighs of pleasure as Xena and Gabrielle crawled beneath
the covers. Xena set her sword against the bed as she listened to the little
Ooos and Aahs of giggled happiness as the bard shifted around beside her, wiggling
her shoulders into the mattress before coming to rest on her side, facing her.

Xena reached over to
touch her shoulder. "So, does it still hurt at all?"

"What?" Gabrielle asked,
having momentarily forgotten about the wound. "Oh... no, not at all. Other than
a bit of an ache, I feel fine." The bard levered herself up a little on one
elbow and laid a hand on Xena's side. "What about you?"

"It just feels like
a bruise now." The only tingling left was from the welcome warmth of Gabrielle's
touch through the robe. "I won't even feel anything in a day or two."

Gabrielle sighed and
rubbed her thumb over the spot where she had seen the weapon strike her friend.
"What a relief. I was so scared for you."

"I know, but it's over
now," Xena responded gently. Quiet fell and just as she was about to let herself
relax she felt Gabrielle slip her fingers beneath the edge of her robe and directly
against her skin. The warrior took a startled breath and froze for a moment
as callused fingers skimmed across the surface of her skin to finally settle
against her side.

"It's incredible; it's
like you were never injured," Gabrielle murmured in amazement. The feel of Xena's
skin was addictive and she traced the slope of the warrior's belly, sensing
the subtle shift of muscle and the intriguing proliferation of goosebumps that
raced ahead of her touch. The warrior's ribs expanded on a hitched breath, and
Gabrielle laid her hand solidly against her side to feel the press of bone and
muscle against her palm. "I'm so glad you're okay," she breathed as Xena's eyes,
a darker blue in the wavering light, turned to meet hers in a look of such open
vulnerability that it made Gabrielle's heart beat faster in her chest. So
beautiful...

"You too," Xena replied,
just as softly. She wondered if the bard could feel the accelerated rate of
her heart beneath her hand, caught as she was between reluctant caution and
uncertain desire. It all came far too close to the line she wouldn't let herself
cross. There were so many reasons to pull away. But, gods, it feels so good.

Her eyes flowed over
the warrior's face, intuitively absorbing every detail, but the dying light
hid much that Gabrielle wanted to see. Barely breathing, she leaned closer,
searching for... something. Needing... something...

Xena saw her move and
felt the warmth of her as the bard's hand slid across her belly, spreading warmth
far out of proportion to the size of her hand. She opened her mouth to speak
and suddenly the fire popped loudly, startling her. Xena jerked her head aside
and watched as the logs splintered and crumbled to embers, the golden light
fading to a deep, muted red glow.

In Gabrielle's eyes,
the warrior's profile with its angular strength was softened by the gentle curve
of Xena's lips, her brow, and the unguarded depths in her eyes. After everything
they had been through and all they nearly lost, Gabrielle felt a need coalesce
itself then and take shape in an impulse no less powerful than the one that
had led her here from Kozani. Gabrielle drew closer, her lips on the verge of
brushing against the warrior's cheek...

Xena felt a wash of
warm air caress her face and she turned only to freeze abruptly. Gabrielle hovered
not even the distance of a finger's width from her, the bard's lips nearly touching
her own. What...? "Gabri-"

After all this time,
she needed some way to tell her, some way to express her relief and happiness,
her love and concern. The warrior's eyes on her made Gabrielle pause in nervous
uncertainty for only a heartbeat before she gathered her courage and ducked
her head to close the final distance.

The kiss silenced Xena
and left her staring for a moment, stunned, as the bard's mouth covered her
own in molten softness. The shriek of warning was silenced as her eyes dropped
shut and she responded to the gentle assault, giving in to the soul-deep emotions
she had held at bay for so long. A breathy moan escaped between their lips,
and the wholly erotic sound gave Xena chills, bringing her back to herself in
a hurry. She broke away, panting and shaking her head. "No, Gabrielle, you shouldn-"

Gabrielle didn't give
the warrior a chance to protest further. The words were a reluctant and poorly
constructed shield, but they were only words, and her heart knew they were the
wrong ones at that. There had been no mistaking Xena's response, and she needed
this. Some inner sense told that they both did, and she reclaimed the other
woman's lips in a slow, sweet kiss of gentle certitude. The tips of the warrior's
fingers brushed hesitantly along the side of her face, tentatively inviting
her closer and Gabrielle complied, groaning deep in her throat as she felt Xena
respond. The bard gently explored the confines of her mouth in a moist, blurry
exchange of unspoken emotion and felt her insides clench and tumble, over and
over again, at each new touch and taste they shared. But starved for breath,
Gabrielle finally drew back, dazed and flushed with her heart hammering at the
wall of her chest.

They stared at one another,
their breath rasping and shaky, almost too frightened to move lest the moment
be shattered and them damaged in the process. Xena swallowed and fought the
urge to run her tongue against her lips where the feel of Gabrielle's kiss still
lingered. She could feel Gabrielle breathe from where the bard pressed against
her and looking up, Xena was drawn to the slightly parted lips and the dark
green eyes that held her in as much wonder and surprise as she herself felt.

So beautiful,
she thought to herself, yearning again for a taste of those waiting lips. It
was all so much though, and after everything that had happened Xena wasn't quite
certain what to do next. The driving need for sleep was clouding her judgement
and she knew she didn't dare read too much into this. Not now. Not yet. We're
exhausted. But she couldn't, and wouldn't, deny to herself just how good
it had felt. Far beyond the physical pleasure she had felt a bone-deep sense
of connection, of rightness, that was as scary as it was irresistible. She swallowed
again and tried to smile, concerned that her continued silence might be misconstrued.
"You okay?"

"Uh huh," Gabrielle
managed to say. Xena's smile was vastly reassuring and she returned it with
a ghost of her own, still caught as she was in the emotional thrall of the moment.
"You?" It distantly seemed an inane question to ask, but she wanted to hear
Xena speak again, to know that this... whatever it meant... was okay. I can't
believe that I did that.

"Yeah," the warrior
replied softly. A pause and then Xena held out an arm in invitation. "C'mere?"

Being as attuned as
she was to Xena's unspoken language, it was the best possible indicator she
could have asked for that they were all right. Gabrielle sank immediately into
the warm spot and rested her head against Xena's shoulder with a contented sigh.
The weight of the day caught up with her the second after her body settled into
the comfortable space against the other woman's side and she fought against
the downward pull of her eyelids and the call of Morpheus' realm.

Xena watched the battle
and knew it for the lost cause that it was. Her own body cried for a rest in
spite of the residual tingling heat of their kiss and she curled her hand over
Gabrielle's shoulder and ruffled the loose strands of her bangs with her other
hand. "Sleep now. You've earned it."

"You, too," came the
barely distinct response from the woman tucked up beneath her chin.

The warrior dropped
a kiss against the damp, blonde hair and felt Gabrielle give her an answering
hug before the bard drifted asleep. Through half-lidded eyes, Xena took in the
room with their belongings and thought briefly on the work that lay ahead as
her eyes went to the shuttered windows. But that was tomorrow. For now, the
people of Neapolis were safe and Gabrielle was whole and sound here in her arms.
She couldn't ask for a better ending than that.

Tiredly, she leaned
her cheek against the bard's brow and let her eyes slide shut. A long sigh carried
her tension with it, leaving Xena's body relaxed for the first time in ages
in this cocoon of warmth she was wrapped in.

Her conscience, perhaps
in agreement with Gabrielle's sleep-tinged words, was kind, and for this one
night the warrior's sleep was long and peacefully dreamless.